林宥嘉 《感官/世界》
This is really a much anticipated album. Yoga’s previous album was released in July last year, and it’s a 16-month wait before his second album [Senses Around] is finally released. Firstly, I want to comment about his album casing. It comes in a big zip-lock bag, nicely sealed with a small transparent sticker with the words ‘Senses Around Yoga Lin’. Cool eh? Then, then inside the zip-lock bag is a pictorial showcase of the album. Four big double-sided posters make up the album’s ‘case’ and a cardboard makes the backing and the CD-holder. Everything looks nicely designed, and there’s not a single scrap of plastic besides the zip-lock bag which holds the album itself. That’s one plus point from me, as it is environmental-friendly being plastic-less. And the whole album itself is made up of posters, meaning that materials are saved and it’s really an innovative move! Okay, next up is the actual music review from me, a highly biased reviewer. Haha.
1) 关于我 ( Something About Me)-
Being only 1:54 minutes long, this track does not really make up to a song, but more of an extra long introduction prelude to the rest of the album. Static sound effects make this song sound old and vinyl-like. For the first time I heard this track, I thought there were problems with my earphones. A simple and blend-sounding track that has ‘关于我’repeating an awful amount of times, otherwise, it is a not too bad intro.
2) 解High人 (The Spoiler)-
Lyrics depict the life of a social outcast, yet, they are portrayals of Yoga’s life. The retro-styled melody with self-ridiculing lyrics accompanied with half-past dead emotions in the singing makes this song special in its own way. Especially like the lyrics快了快半拍/悲哀慢半拍/慢吞吞徘徊在民调之外…扫兴的天才/人见人害.
3) 看见什么吃什么 (You Are What You Eat)-
Third song into the album and it’s still a retro-styled song. Woogie-boogie, that’s how they call it. I call it Weird. It sounds very unlike the mainstream music genres of the modern, and seems that they intend to stay this way, being different from the rest. 穿裙子的男生/举哑铃的女生 sounds like the weird-ass social phenomenon now. 我爱素也爱荤sounds like me. Apart from reflecting the society now, this song is also bringing across the message of accepting things that goes along, not to be an icky-picky. For all you know, that dumbass you’ve just talked to could be your next biggest inspirer in life.
4) 耳朵 (Deaf In Love)-
What’s the point of listening when honesty cease? What’s the point of continuing when hearts no longer connect? A love ballad that seems too heavy to digest, this song describes a messed up situation love has gotten into. I once asked friends would they rather lose their sight or their hearing, I get mostly ‘hearing’. They believe that without sight, that’s doom. But I chose sight, for the exact reasons mentioned in the song, 当爱情知剩眼睛少了耳朵/就变得你只看到你怕看的. I have always felt hearing as the more important sense as compared to sight, with fear that with only sight left, I will see the ugliness of the world; this world of façade, this world of hypocrisy. 没死不代表活着, bringing emotions and thoughts to a higher level altogether.
5) 飘 (Gone With The Wind)-
This song is just like how the title sounds, with the winds. A lingering tinge of sorrow, an empowering feel of emptiness, and a tipsy whimpering voice singing out the lost of what’s lost. There’s a strange feeling of being in a vacuum when listening to this song, you’ll feel almost as lost and empty.
6) 说谎 (Fairy Tale)-
What got me hooked onto this song is actually the music video of it. It is not anything of a high-cost production, but it’s beautifully crafted and wickedly painful. The lyrics of the song is deep too, Yoga sings 我没有说谎/我何必说谎/你懂我的/我对你从来就不会假装/我那儿有说谎/请别以为你有多难忘/笑是真的不是我逞强. Listen with your heart, and you will realize that you can actually hear which of these are ‘lies’ and which are ‘truths’. Amazing? He is impressive.
7) 心酸 (Heartbreak)-
Another sad love song, Heartbreak describes lost love, lost time, lost age. People often say 不在乎天长地久，只在乎曾经拥有 (It’s not about being together forever, but having been in love). This song, however, blaringly sings out the opposite. 我曾拥有你/真叫我心酸. Mourning about lost love, it’s more of an irreversible ending which the protagonist painfully hopes to forget, yet the more he tries to forget, the more he’ll remember. The perfect recipe for a Heartbreak.
8) 唐人街 (China Town)-
Having a cheena-looking name does not mean being cheena-sounding song, okay? Leehom may have called this type of genre ‘Chinked-out’, but well, it is different here. This song has a weird 90’s Cantopop feel, yet magically transforms into a rock song. Maybe Chinese Diasporas living outside China may feel a bit or two when listening to this song， 传说中的归根落叶/曾经多不屑/原来最渴望的不过这些. Advice listeners to read the lyrics when listening to this song, because what make the song impactful are really the lyrics sung in the background.
9) 歇斯底里 (Hysteria)-
Heavily-hyped song, high and oh my, it’s as spontaneous as its title. On the verge of a mental breakdown is what Yoga sounds like here, 悄悄话要用丹田/否则观众会听不见/心跳要提高分贝/求个天崩地裂. But I was thinking that Yoga should be happier when singing this song, for some reasons he sounds as though he is kind of sick or tired.
10) 另一个自己 (Another Me)-
Schizophrenic singing a song, to himself. I don’t know if I’m the one feeling tired, or is it really Yoga who is sounding tired. I no longer hear the vibe and excitement I get from him previously. He is almost like singing out the lyrics with a blank mind in this song. I don’t hear much emotion in this song, besides those which can be produced vocally. Hmm. Someone is feeling tired being two of himself. 我在这里/你在那里/哪天能相遇/你寂寞吗？
11) 感同身受 (Sense)-
A rock song; a nicely arranged and written song, denying the idea that ending songs are supposed to be the least of the pack. I like this line a lot, 有那么多人在寂寞/就没有人寂寞 (when there are so many lonely people, no one is really lonely). The rather abrupt end to the song will probably force you to hit that ‘replay album’ button again and immerse yourself in another round of Yoga’s goodness once more.
Overall, this album did live up to expectations, at least mine, and is is is definitely a ‘must-buy’. I paid S$15 for this album only; CD-Rama sells it at S$15. I will pay $15 even for 《耳朵》alone. This album is rather heavy-packed; with 10 full tracks and one very hefty intro track (anyone generous will consider that as a full song on its own). So, take time to go through each and every song, with the lyrics paper on hand, of course. A chunky and meaty album like this can be indeed too much for one to bear, but for fans, this is one great present after a long 16-month wait.
This is really a much anticipated album. Yoga’s previous album was released in July last year, and it’s a 16-month wait before his second album [Senses Around] is finally released. Firstly, I want to comment about his album casing. It comes in a big zip-lock bag, nicely sealed with a small transparent sticker with the words ‘Senses Around Yoga Lin’. Cool eh? Then, then inside the zip-lock bag is a pictorial showcase of the album. Four big double-sided posters make up the album’s ‘case’ and a cardboard makes the backing and the CD-holder. Everything looks nicely designed, and there’s not a single scrap of plastic besides the zip-lock bag which holds the album itself. That’s one plus point from me, as it is environmental-friendly being plastic-less. And the whole album itself is made up of posters, meaning that materials are saved and it’s really an innovative move! Okay, next up is the actual music review from me, a highly biased reviewer. Haha.
1) 关于我 ( Something About Me)-
Being only 1:54 minutes long, this track does not really make up to a song, but more of an extra long introduction prelude to the rest of the album. Static sound effects make this song sound old and vinyl-like. For the first time I heard this track, I thought there were problems with my earphones. A simple and blend-sounding track that has ‘关于我’repeating an awful amount of times, otherwise, it is a not too bad intro.
2) 解High人 (The Spoiler)-
Lyrics depict the life of a social outcast, yet, they are portrayals of Yoga’s life. The retro-styled melody with self-ridiculing lyrics accompanied with half-past dead emotions in the singing makes this song special in its own way. Especially like the lyrics快了快半拍/悲哀慢半拍/慢吞吞徘徊在民调之外…扫兴的天才/人见人害.
3) 看见什么吃什么 (You Are What You Eat)-
Third song into the album and it’s still a retro-styled song. Woogie-boogie, that’s how they call it. I call it Weird. It sounds very unlike the mainstream music genres of the modern, and seems that they intend to stay this way, being different from the rest. 穿裙子的男生/举哑铃的女生 sounds like the weird-ass social phenomenon now. 我爱素也爱荤sounds like me. Apart from reflecting the society now, this song is also bringing across the message of accepting things that goes along, not to be an icky-picky. For all you know, that dumbass you’ve just talked to could be your next biggest inspirer in life.
4) 耳朵 (Deaf In Love)-
What’s the point of listening when honesty cease? What’s the point of continuing when hearts no longer connect? A love ballad that seems too heavy to digest, this song describes a messed up situation love has gotten into. I once asked friends would they rather lose their sight or their hearing, I get mostly ‘hearing’. They believe that without sight, that’s doom. But I chose sight, for the exact reasons mentioned in the song, 当爱情知剩眼睛少了耳朵/就变得你只看到你怕看的. I have always felt hearing as the more important sense as compared to sight, with fear that with only sight left, I will see the ugliness of the world; this world of façade, this world of hypocrisy. 没死不代表活着, bringing emotions and thoughts to a higher level altogether.
5) 飘 (Gone With The Wind)-
This song is just like how the title sounds, with the winds. A lingering tinge of sorrow, an empowering feel of emptiness, and a tipsy whimpering voice singing out the lost of what’s lost. There’s a strange feeling of being in a vacuum when listening to this song, you’ll feel almost as lost and empty.
6) 说谎 (Fairy Tale)-
What got me hooked onto this song is actually the music video of it. It is not anything of a high-cost production, but it’s beautifully crafted and wickedly painful. The lyrics of the song is deep too, Yoga sings 我没有说谎/我何必说谎/你懂我的/我对你从来就不会假装/我那儿有说谎/请别以为你有多难忘/笑是真的不是我逞强. Listen with your heart, and you will realize that you can actually hear which of these are ‘lies’ and which are ‘truths’. Amazing? He is impressive.
7) 心酸 (Heartbreak)-
Another sad love song, Heartbreak describes lost love, lost time, lost age. People often say 不在乎天长地久，只在乎曾经拥有 (It’s not about being together forever, but having been in love). This song, however, blaringly sings out the opposite. 我曾拥有你/真叫我心酸. Mourning about lost love, it’s more of an irreversible ending which the protagonist painfully hopes to forget, yet the more he tries to forget, the more he’ll remember. The perfect recipe for a Heartbreak.
8) 唐人街 (China Town)-
Having a cheena-looking name does not mean being cheena-sounding song, okay? Leehom may have called this type of genre ‘Chinked-out’, but well, it is different here. This song has a weird 90’s Cantopop feel, yet magically transforms into a rock song. Maybe Chinese Diasporas living outside China may feel a bit or two when listening to this song， 传说中的归根落叶/曾经多不屑/原来最渴望的不过这些. Advice listeners to read the lyrics when listening to this song, because what make the song impactful are really the lyrics sung in the background.
9) 歇斯底里 (Hysteria)-
Heavily-hyped song, high and oh my, it’s as spontaneous as its title. On the verge of a mental breakdown is what Yoga sounds like here, 悄悄话要用丹田/否则观众会听不见/心跳要提高分贝/求个天崩地裂. But I was thinking that Yoga should be happier when singing this song, for some reasons he sounds as though he is kind of sick or tired.
10) 另一个自己 (Another Me)-
Schizophrenic singing a song, to himself. I don’t know if I’m the one feeling tired, or is it really Yoga who is sounding tired. I no longer hear the vibe and excitement I get from him previously. He is almost like singing out the lyrics with a blank mind in this song. I don’t hear much emotion in this song, besides those which can be produced vocally. Hmm. Someone is feeling tired being two of himself. 我在这里/你在那里/哪天能相遇/你寂寞吗？
11) 感同身受 (Sense)-
A rock song; a nicely arranged and written song, denying the idea that ending songs are supposed to be the least of the pack. I like this line a lot, 有那么多人在寂寞/就没有人寂寞 (when there are so many lonely people, no one is really lonely). The rather abrupt end to the song will probably force you to hit that ‘replay album’ button again and immerse yourself in another round of Yoga’s goodness once more.
Overall, this album did live up to expectations, at least mine, and is is is definitely a ‘must-buy’. I paid S$15 for this album only; CD-Rama sells it at S$15. I will pay $15 even for 《耳朵》alone. This album is rather heavy-packed; with 10 full tracks and one very hefty intro track (anyone generous will consider that as a full song on its own). So, take time to go through each and every song, with the lyrics paper on hand, of course. A chunky and meaty album like this can be indeed too much for one to bear, but for fans, this is one great present after a long 16-month wait.
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